Nadine Naidoo an Ashoka Fellow, is the founder of a virtual volunteer network- Visionaries in Africa (VIA Africa), an organization founded in 1999. Naidoo is recognized for reviving the culture of citizen service in South Africa by using a range of tools to make the ideal volunteer community a reality. After observing that an absence of efficient resources and information resulted in a deflation of community enthusiasm for citizen service work, Naidoo started developing information mediums that closed the gap between citizen service organizations and the public and revealing a wealth of potential opportunities. In 2000, she left her formal employer to pursue her interests with social entrepreneurship. The goals of Visionaries in Africa are to provide a resource that enables individuals to volunteer with various citizen service organizations. Naidoo has launched a virtual database that matches volunteers with service opportunities and is currently in the process of revamping the database to allow those without internet access the ability to benefit from the information as well. Naidoo has also worked endlessly to engage a variety of stakeholders to offer financial recompense and other forms of recognition to prevent economic disparity from serving as a leading barrier to participation in unpaid community service projects for community members. Naidoo actively spreads the word about VIA Africa and encourages volunteerism to over 2.5 million South African viewers, through her role as an actor on the South African soap series “Isidingo.”
